


Runner

by Confusedblueberry



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-23
Updated: 2018-01-24
Packaged: 2019-02-06 02:27:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12807633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Confusedblueberry/pseuds/Confusedblueberry
Summary: Nova is a runaway that FP took in before his arrest. She is quick to make friends with Jughead and later Toni and Sweet Pea. The Serpents are curious about her now that they realized that she went unnoticed on the South Side for months especially Sweet Pea.Sweet Pea X Oc





	1. Chapter 1

She had been a run away for months now. At first, she had slept on park benches and then set up a tent on the Northside of Riverdale. No one ever bothered her and it being the Northside she didn’t have to worry about things that went bump in the night. All summer she had spent living in the woods and no one had questioned her until someone finally did. 

 

She wasn't a scary individual in any way she looked twelve years old and couldn't hurt a fly. Maybe that’s why when FP Jones stumbled upon her he decided to take her in. Some would wonder why a teenage girl would have complete and utter faith in a stranger when she knew how bad the world could be and she didn’t have a good answer. She just knew in her gut that even though he was rough around the edges he wasn't a bad man. As time went on she realized he had taken her in because he couldn't help his son the way he needed too. But he could help her by simply letting her sleep on his couch and helping her forge papers to go to the local high school. 

 

Even though FP wanted her to go to Riverdale High she decided on Southside because she knew that she would draw more attention at Riverdale than the SouthSide and she didn't need anyone asking questions. 

 

She had been surprised by two things. One, FP Jones had been arrested and it would seem that he would spend a long time in prison for his crime. Two, it had taken forever to meet Jughead Jones even though she had lived in his trailer for quite a bit of time. 

 

She had felt bad for him when he was made to switch schools to the Southside leaving behind Betty and his friends but was happy to have a friend at school. On the first day he had made friends with the Serpents so she had left him alone because she tried her best to avoid the drugs and gangs. The next day Jughead had sat with her in the library instead of the Serpents in the lunch room, but your school bonding didn’t last long. She had heard what had happened to Jughead late one night and knew hanging with the Serpents was better for him. His father was the leader making him a target while she was a no one and survived just fine. 

 

But to say she was beyond shocked when she woke up to the loud sounds of someone being in the trailer and was greeted by a group of Serpents and a puppy just didn't sum it up well. When she saw the puppy, she dropped the bat she had been holdin0g, probably wrong. Bringing attention to herself. "You can go back to bed Nova it's just a joke." She knew it wasn't anything terrible but knew it wasn't just a joke. 

 

"So, we have a puppy now?" She couldn't help it she had always wanted a dog, but had never been allowed one. It was so fluffy. 

 

One of the Serpents answered for Jughead. "His name is Hotdog and he has to take care of it for his initiation." She was pretty sad at that the pup wasn't a permeant fixture in their life but it would be nice to have a dog in the trailer. 

 

Hotdog jumped off Jugheads bed to walk over to you. "Well I'm going back to bed I have classes in the morning. Do you want to come to bed with me Hotdog?" At that Hotdog barked and followed Nova back into her tiny room and jumped right into bed with her. Shocking not only Jughead but the Serpents present. They knew this was not Betty Cooper and had no idea who this girl was living with their leader's son even though they had promised to look out for him. Leaving them curious to the girl who had just stolen Hotdog.


	2. Chapter 2

The entire week had been interesting. Hotdog had become her shadow when she was in the trailer and she was happy to have him. None of the Serpents had said anything to her about being in the Jones trailer late that night but it didn’t mean she couldn’t feel the stares at school. She had liked being a no one but now she was someone. 

 

She was standing at the window of the trailer watching the events of Jugheads final initiation and it was not pretty. She felt for him he had just went through the emotional turmoil of being broken up with than the physical torture of being punched multiple times. She called it torture because she knew no matter what that he couldn’t fight back. Those situations were the worst. She knew them all too well. 

 

After the last punch was thrown she stood still in the window watching them. She hadn’t planned on being noticed spying on something that she wasn’t supposed to witness but when she made eye contact with dark brown eyes she knew she had been caught. Nova refused to break eye contact with the Serpent who looked back at her with a curious look on his face. She wasn’t sure of his name but she knew who he was. He ran the Serpents at the High school they had a respect for him and seemed to listen to the tall boy. She hadn’t planned on being the one to look away but when someone opened the front door she tore her graze from him to the door. She hadn’t noticed anything except him. 

 

Jughead and Toni came inside talking lowly and Nova took it as her hint to leave. Grabbing her wallet, she silently went to the door. She would check on him before she went to sleep tonight. Slipping out the back door hoping to go unnoticed by the other occupants of the trailer. Nova was focused so much on not disturbing Jughead that she didn’t notice the Serpent from earlier that was still outside and ran right into him. She hadn't been walking slow so it felt she had ran into a brick wall losing her balance Nova fell to the ground. 

 

Sitting in the dirt Nova tried to get her hair out of her eyes. Her hair was long reaching passed the middle of her back and it was dyed maroon. Sometimes too felt like chopping it all off but knew she would regret it the moment she did. After getting her hair out of her face she was greeted with a hand held out to her. Nova let the Serpent pull her up off the ground. Did she say thank you for helping her up or sorry for running into him? "Thanks......" Her words trailed off when she realized that she didn’t know his name. 

 

As he pulled her off the ground with ease he realized why she had paused. "My name is Sweet Pea." He let go of her but didn't move an inch. 

 

"I'm Nova." She felt like it would be rude to not tell him her name now that she knew his but she hoped it didn’t affect her status at school. She was fine with being stared at but as soon as Serpents started approaching her people would make it their business to know who she was. 

 

"I know." Nova simply raised her eyebrow to question him. She couldn’t deny that she recognized him from school but she hadn't known his name till today. "I was here the other night dropping Hotdog off." When he said that it hit her like a ton of bricks. 

 

Dusting the dirt off herself and she gave Sweet Pea a smile and a little wave. She wasn't too sure what to say so she just decided to head on her way. She pulled the tarp off her bicycle and just before she could start to peddle away Sweet Pea stopped her. "Do you need a ride?" His eyes went from her bike to his as if to say it would be faster to just to accept his offer. Nova nodded in return putting her bike back under the tarp. 

 

She was hesitant to just jump on the back of his bike. "Have you ever ridden on a motorcycle before?" When she didn't answer right away he knew the answer. "Just throw a leg over and put your feet here." Sweet Pea pointed to a certain spot. When she finally got onto the bike she left some space between the two only for Sweet Pea to grab her hands and wrap them around his torso. "It's so you don’t fall off. So where are we heading?" 

 

The first time she tried to speak her words are muffled from her face being pressed into his back. But she tried again. "I need to go to Pop's. I'm supposed to start waitressing there tonight." Sweet Pea doesn’t say anything and simply cranks the engine up and starts heading in the direction of the diner. Nova held on tight even though he wasn't driving fast but she was still so nervous to be on the back of a motorcycle. She honestly couldn’t believe she accepted his offer not because he was a Serpent but the idea of not having any seatbelt or protection scared her. Some people just couldn’t drive. 

 

All the time that Nova had been thinking about how unsafe motorcycles were she didn't realize the bikes engine cut meaning that they were at their final destination. But she did notice when Sweet Pea started to move around. She got off the bike fixing her clothes and combing her fingers through her maroon colored hair she had what you would consider beach curls it was funny because she had never been to the beach. Sweet Pea was now standing next to her. "Coming in?" He simply nodded before following her inside the fifties themed diner. Sweet Pea went and got a booth while Nova went to find Pop. 

 

Nova spent five hours training and learning everything she needed to waitress at the diner and that entire time she was working when she would glance over at the very last booth Sweet Pea still sat there. She hadn't had a moments rest since walking through the diner doors so when she was told she could head out for the night she pretty much fell into the booth seat across from him. "Don't laugh at me." Nova said when Sweet Pea let out a chuckle as she complained about her feet hurting. "I'm not usually on my feet this much." 

 

"Are you ready to go?" He looked around the diner there were still people hanging around inside so he wasn’t completely sure if she was done for the night. 

 

The entire night Nova had been waiting to glance back at the last booth only to see it empty but she never did. She couldn't believe he had waited around to give her a ride home. "If you are?" It came out more as a question. When she said this, he seemed to give it some thought. 

 

"I don't mind taking you home now." With that they silently agreed it was time to go. When they were sitting back on the bike he asked if home was the Jones residents. On a really good day she probably wouldn’t have answered. It wasn't like she was ashamed of the Jones men in her life more that she was a private person. But for some reason she had no issue of the yes slipping off her tongue. With that they were off headed for the Sunnyside trailer park. 

 

The cold air felt amazing on her cheeks Nova just took in the lights blurring by and it was amazing. Just a few hours before she had been scared to death to ride on the back of Sweet Peas motorcycle but now it was something she could see herself craving as odd as it sounded. "Don't become an adrenaline junkie on me." Sweet Pea tells her when she urges him to go faster but he does it anyways. 

 

In no time they made it to the Jones trailer. Nova got off the bike and looked at the windows to see if the lights were still on to see if it was safe to go inside. They were off so she deemed it safe that she wouldn’t walk into something she didn’t want to see. She turned her attention back onto Sweet Pea to tell him good night and thank you for the ride. But before she could say anything he held out his hand. It took Nova a good thirty seconds to realize he wanted her phone. So, she handed it over. "I'm assuming I'm the only Sweet Pea you know." He let out a chuckle at his own joke as he handed her phone back after putting his contact in it. 

 

She waited patiently for him to give her his phone so she could do the same. "Do you want my number." She asked after he didn't move to pull out his phone after he had returned hers. 

 

Sweet Pea shot her a smirk when he did pull out his phone and showed her the screen quickly. "I already have it." It had a missed call from her phone. She hadn't even noticed him calling himself. At that she said good night and started heading up the trailer stairs to the front door. Just as her hand reached the door handle Sweet Pea called out her name. "You have my number now if you need a ride from now on call me. There's a serial killer lurking around." 

 

"Thanks again Sweet Pea, but I wouldn’t wanna be a bother." With that you head inside leaving the lights off as you navigate around the furniture in the trailer hoping not to trip over anything. She didn’t hear the sound of engine for a good ten minutes by than she had found herself in her bed. 

 

As Nova laid in her bed watching her ceiling fan going around and around in circles she wondered if she had made a mistake by accepting Sweet Pea's offer to give her a ride tonight. She hoped she hadn't but she would find out later if it would come back to bite her in the ass.


	3. Chapter 3

Nothing had really changed at school. The Serpents still stared at her but none of them ever bothered her. But she had noticed that before Sweet Pea had only ever given her blank stares but now he would wave to her every once in a while, and she had been completely fine with that. 

 

But one late afternoon her reading was interrupted by someone sitting next to her. Jughead was the only who ever sat with her and that was only during lunch so she knew it wasn’t him. When she was finished with the page she had been reading her hazel eyes met dark brown eyes that belonged to the one and only Sweet Pea. 

 

She put her book away because she knew that he wanted something if he had sought her out. “I talked to Jughead. He said you’ve been working pretty late. Why haven’t you called me?” 

 

She didn't understand why Jughead had to tell Sweet Pea about her walking home from the diner. It wasn't like she was walking around at 2am in the morning for hours at a time. It wasn't even a 20-minute walk which was usually cut in half by her riding her bike. She usually left the diner at 11. Nova summed up her thoughts by telling Sweet Pea that it wasn't even a big deal. 

 

"It's not a big deal. Nova there's a crazy man on the loose killing people." As Sweet Pea spoke the louder he got. 

 

Nova's eyes bugged out of her head. Did he not realize they were in the library where people were supposed to be quiet. She looked around hoping no one was staring at them. "Calm down Sweet Pea." She whispered yelled at him. 

 

"I told you to call me if you needed a ride. Why do you have to be so stubborn!" He glared at her. Before she would have been worried about the look on his face directed at her but now it didn't faze her. She knew how Sweet Pea could be she had been a witness to it spending months on the Southside but he had proved he wasn’t a terrible human being. 

 

She pushed her chair away to put space between the two. "No, I don't know why your being so stubborn. Until last week we had never spoken before and now your acting like you’re my keeper now." She slammed the book she had been trying to read before he had shown up into her bag in frustration. She knew her cheeks were probably a terrible shade of red. 

 

Nova didn't pay any attention to Sweet Pea following her through the halls yelling her name. She wasn't worried about bring attention to herself because unlike with Riverdale High no one ever stayed after school not even the teachers. Everyone hated it that much. The only people left in the school were in the library and they were probably there for the computers so no one was going to notice her and Sweet Pea in the hallways. In her rush to get away from Sweet Pea she hadn't paid any attention to her surroundings so when she went outside she was greeted with a down pour of rain and a dark sky. 

 

She didn’t have to think twice about being stubborn and since she was already almost soaked continued to walk in the rain. Nova thought walking home in the rain would be enough to get Sweet Pea to leave her alone over the rides but was sadly mistaken. He pulled up next to her in an old beat up truck she didn't know he even owned. Nova tried her best to ignore him but after fifth teen minutes of Sweet Pea following her home at snail pace in the rain. Every couple minute he would roll the window down and ask her if she was ready to get in the truck. When she realized the Sweet Pea would follow her all the way home she stopped walking. When she stopped walking the truck stopped inching forward. "Are you gonna get in the truck now?" The way Sweet Pea said it was different from every time he asked before like he knew she would finally relent. 

 

"I'll soak the inside of the truck." She didn't know what else to say. Sweet Pea didn't respond and simply reached across the cab to unlock the door. Nova got in and as soon as she was out of the heavy down poor and inside of the truck she started to shiver. Before she knew what was happening he had taken off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. It didn't stop her from shivering but it did stop her teeth from chattering. 

 

Nova wanted to be mad at Sweet Pea for not taking no as an answer, but she knew she was being stubborn. She realized she just wanted a reason to be mad at him. She didn't have much experience with friendships in the past and could count on one hand who she counted as a friend. This was something new to her and she had no idea how to let someone take care of her. It sounded odd because she had trusted FP. In an odd a way FP had saved her, but he was in jail now. 

 

In all her thought she didn’t realize they had pulled up to the trailer. Before she could say anything, Sweet Pea pulled her from her side of the truck cab and carried her to the door. She was shocked. He didn't bother knocking simply walking inside of the trailer only setting her down outside of the bathroom door. "Go take a hot shower." Only an hour ago her and Sweet Pea had been arguing about him telling her what to do and now she listened without a thought. She hadn't even realized that she was doing what she was told till she was in the shower thinking as she rinsed her hair. When she was done she put on a large shirt that was probably FP's and tiny shorts. 

 

She was greeted by Sweet Pea sitting on the couch. She didn't know what to say to the boy so she silently sat down next to him. A sneeze coming from Nova cut the silence. "You couldn’t just get into the truck could you. Now you're going to get sick." 

 

"I'm sorry Pea for being so stubborn I'm just not use to someone caring." 

 

"Well I hope that means next time I tell you to get in the damn truck you won't try to walk home. I said it before if you need me call me." Yet again the boy sitting next to her shocked her. 

 

Looking into his eyes she looked for something to tell her not to trust him but it was the complete opposite. When she looked at Sweet Pea she felt safe like she could trust anything and everything he said to her. "Why are you being so nice to me. Don't get me wrong I don't think you are some terrible person because your part of the Serpents, but I want to know why your being so nice to me Sweet Pea. I've been here for months and may not have met you till the other day but I've seen you at school and I know how you can be." She played with her fingers as she admitted to watching him. 

 

Sweet Pea gently tilted her head so she had to look at him. "You may not be a Serpent but you make sure Jughead eats not his northside girlfriend and I'm not dumb I saw you watching his initiation and I could see it in your eyes that if you thought you needed to step in you would. FP took you in for some reason and he sees something in you Nova and I do too. I'm not saying the Southside will ruin you, but you think being a loner will keep you safe but lately you don't notice the looks you're getting. The Serpents are loyal to those who show loyalty to them." Nova could feel her face heating up. Sweet Pea had been watching her at school and she had no idea. 

 

The moment was ruined by her sneezing again. Sweet Pea yet again picked her up without warning this time not stopping till he was dropping her into her bed. As Nova arranged her pillow and blankets she looked up after a few seconds of not hearing movement to see him watching her at the door way. Without much thought she opened her big mouth. "If you want you can stay the night." It was pretty late. Sweet Pea nodded his head and started to turn and head for the couch. Nova took a chance reaching out to grab his hand stopping him. "You don't have to sleep on the couch." Sweet Pea stood frozen for a moment before walking around to the other side of the bed. He took off his boots before sliding in the bed. 

 

They lay in the bed in silence the only noise was there breathing. They weren't touching but weren't miles apart. As they sat in comfortable silence Sweet Pea that the entire time that he had been at the Jones trailer that there was no sign of Jughead. 

 

"Nova where's Jughead at?" Sweet Pea had already stated that he worried about Nova and the Black hood and knew if for some odd reason if the Black hood wanted her the trailer door locked or not wouldn’t stop him. She shouldn't be alone. 

 

She didn't answer right away. She knew she wasn't supposed to know. "He's doing a job for Penny." She knew that she wouldn’t have to say more about it. Sweet Pea would know what she was talking about. 

 

"Do you know what kind of job?" Sweet Pea got closer to Nova. He couldn't see her face in the dark but could tell by her tone of voice that she wasn't excited about the situation. 

 

"Pancake mix." She didn't say anything else and when Sweet Pea wrapped his arms around her she let him. In the past few months the Jones had become her family and well neither of the Jones men in her life had the greatest situations going on in their own lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys I hope you like chapter 3. Thank you for all the people that have been reviewing and taking the time to even read my story. I'm debating putting it on tumblr but not completely sure how that works lol. I probably won't up load another chapter before Christmas so merry Christmas!


	4. Chapter 4

Nova had to work when FP was going to be released from jail she was bit sad about it but knew she couldn’t simply call off work. She needed the money and Pop Tate had taken a chance hiring her. She didn’t want to disappoint the people that had offered her such simply kindness when it meant the world to her. Jughead had promised that they would stop by to see her. So, she wasn’t shocked to see the Jones and Betty in her section but hadn’t expected the one and only Alice Cooper to be with them cracking jokes.   
Alice Cooper’s presence wasn’t the only shock that Nova received that day. The second was FP Jones would be retiring from the Serpents and planned to never drink again. She had only ever known the Jones in what seemed to be there dark period and looked forward to seeing the changes in FP. She didn’t just see the drunk side of him, but also the caring father that didn’t know what to do with his family falling apart at the seams. FP could do good and Nova knew that he just needed reminding sometimes. While she had been busy with other customers Pop had decided to give FP a chance to prove to everyone in Riverdale that he had the ability to be a law-abiding citizen with a real job.  
By the time Nova had gotten home that night Jughead was gone and FP was asleep on the couch she assumed waiting up for the both to get home. She had wanted to hangout with the Jones before she went to bed but didn’t have the heart to wake up FP, so she simply grabbed a blanket from the closet and through it on him. At least she had gotten to see him at the diner. Nova decided she would finish her homework and then go to bed because she had to work the next morning, so she could have the night off to go to the Serpent Kings retirement party at the Whyte Wyrm.  
She hadn’t been to the Wyrm yet. The Wyrm was a Serpent thing and not South sider in general hangout. So even with her connections with the Jones she had stayed away because clearly, she was not a Serpent. She didn’t need people asking questions about her that was the whole reason that until now she had associated with Jughead in school or even went to Riverdale High. Taking the Jobs at Pop’s was already risking enough attention but needed the money the job provided. Even though the Jones had taken her in like a lost puppy she couldn’t depend on them to financially support her. They were struggling to stay afloat before she even came along and wouldn’t take advantage of there kindness. 

The End of Nova’s Shift the Next Night  
After her shift she hadn’t bothered to call anyone to pick her up because Sweet Pea had been sitting in his truck for the past forty-five minutes waiting for her to get off work. Over the past few weeks since Her and Sweet Pea’s sleep over she hasn’t called him to pick her up from work because he always waiting for her shift to end in the parking lot. Betty had asked her to help her and few others get the Whyte Wyrm ready for FP’s retirement party and Nova felt like she couldn’t turn the poor girl down. On her way out, Pop handed her a milkshake to go. “For the boy out there. It mighty nice of him to look out for you like he does.” She thanked Pop Tate and just knew her cheeks were tinted pink.   
As soon as she got into the truck she hands Sweet Pea the milkshake without saying anything. He took it without question and before pulling out of the parking lot giving Pop a head nod. Nova was quick to turn the radio on to stop the awkward silence that came from her thinking to much of the situation at hand.   
Sweet Pea let it go for a while than when he couldn’t take her constant fidgeting anymore he lowered the music down, so he could hear her. “Nova what’s got you so nervous?”   
She didn’t look at him. “Nothing at all. Why do you ask?” She kept her eyes on the window watching the Northside blur into the Southside.  
He doesn’t have to take his eyes off the road to know she still hasn’t stopped fidgeting. “Your rocking the whole fucking truck cab with your fidgeting. I know your nervous about something. Now for you to just tell me what it is.”   
This time she didn’t even respond. “Nova come on what is it? I know it’s not work because you just left so it has to be something your about to do.” At that moment Sweet Pea stops talking because it would seem it hit him like a truck. “Is it the Serpents?” Nova knew with that tone she was treading on thin ice. Sweet Pea was very defensive when it came to the Southside and the Serpents. He knew she didn’t have a problem with South sider’s because in this town that’s what she was just a girl from the wrong side of the train tracks.   
Nova turned from the window to look at Sweet Pea, so she could explain herself. Even as she started to talk her voice didn’t get any louder than a whisper. “It’s not the Serpents per say. I feel like I don’t belong at the Whyte Wyrm. That’s a Serpent hangout and I’m not a Serpent. Yes, I live with Jughead and FP but I see the looks sometimes. I don’t fit in with the Serpents.”   
“I know Jugheads girlfriend invited you even volunteered you to help set up. Why do you think you wouldn’t belong when we don’t have a problem with her?”   
“Betty is Jughead’s girlfriend of course she belongs! I’m not dating a Serpent I’m just a lost puppy FP found in the woods.” At this point Nova was breathing a little hard because of how loud she had been. She had gone from being a mouse to be a lion.   
Before Nova could say anything else, Sweet Pea had hit the brakes and pulled over on the side of the road. “I’ve told you before Nova the Serpents are loyal to people who are loyal to them. It doesn’t have to be every single Serpent but because of What you’ve done for the Jones and the friendship we have the rest of the Serpents will respect you.”  
Nova tried her best to smile and agree that everything would be fine. For a junior in high school she sure was awkward in social situations. Yes, Sweet Pea had made it ten times better by telling her that she would be accepted with out an issue. Nova still felt nervous less nervous but still nervous. She did her best to stop fidgeting and focus on something other than going to the Wyrm. Sweet Pea had started arguing about radio stations, not because he didn’t like the music but to get her mind off the party.  
In no time the nerves had disappeared only to reappear when they pulled into the Whyte Wyrm’s parking lot that was filled to the brim with people even if they had been a bit early to set up. Sweet Pea had gotten out of the truck and waited for Nova to do the same. As they walked in Nova took every single detail in and made a beeline for Betty at the bar talking to Toni. When her and Sweet Pea reached the bar, the conversation stopped and whatever Betty Cooper had been worrying about had been replaced by her telling everyone there job for the night. Nova was blowing up balloons while Sweet Pea played pool with Fang. There job was to hang up the balloons because her and Toni would need a ladder without them.   
As the night progressed Nova had tried her best to stick with Sweet Pea because she didn’t do that great with strangers and FP was busy talking to the older Serpents. She didn’t want to interrupt she would she him and Jughead at home anyways. So, when Sweet Pea disappeared Nova sat at the bar talking every once in a while with Toni as she watched the red head and his girlfriend sing a terribly depressing song. When they ran off stage because what she assumed was a lover spat they were replaced by Betty.  
Nova thought that Betty would be Betty and would simply move the schedule of events on for the night. No more karaoke for the night and damn was wrong. At first she thought it was a last ditch effort to save karaoke but than Betty started to unbutton her top and it only got worse as the seconds went on. Out of no where Sweet Pea joined her and Toni at the bar.   
“What is she doing?” You waited for someone to answer you looking from the stage to Sweet Pea and Toni her eyes wide in disbelief.   
When Toni realized Sweet Pea wasn’t going to answer Nova’s question it left her. “She’s doing The Serpent Dance to be Serpent adjacent.” Nova didn’t say anything because she didn’t understand. “She wants to be accepted by the Serpents and this is how you do it. The Serpent Dance it an old tradition that’s barbaric.”   
Nova watched as no one made a move to make Betty stop and started toward the stage without thinking about the scene she would cause. Before she could make it very far Sweet Pea’s hand was clamped around her wrist holding her in place. “Where do you think your going Nova?”   
“I’m going up there and gonna make her stop.” Nova gave him look as if to say what the hell do you think I was gonna do.  
“No, you’re not.” He doesn’t budge an inch not even when Nova starts to try and herself out of his grip.   
“Sweet Pea let go of my fucking arm right now. I’m going up there.” She starts to struggle more and before she realizes it Sweet Pea had thrown her over his shoulder and started for the door. She wanted to scream and yell at the top of her lungs for him to put her down but now the room full of Serpents is either looking at her or Betty and she’s not sure which is worse.   
As Sweet Pea is walking out the door the last thing she sees FP doing what no one else getting Betty off that fucking stage putting his jacket on her to cover up. Sweet Pea doesn’t put her down not even to open the driver side door of the truck balancing her on his shoulder with one arm. When does finally put her down he sits her on the edge of the seats standing between her legs.  
“Why didn’t you let me stop her, why didn’t you stop her?!” Nova was angry now that anyone could sit in that bar filled with adults and watch a teenager strip.   
“Because its not our place to stop her Nova, plus it’s a Serpent tradition its been around long before us.” He tries to keep her calm by keeping his voice level, but it didn’t seem like it was working.  
“Its not our place! On the way here, you told me the Serpents would respect me Sweet Pea because of you, Jughead and FP. You’re not close with Betty but she’s closes to Jughead and FP how is it any different from me wanting to be accepted by the people in your in our lives. What if it was me up there?” Sweet Pea had reached out his hand to have Nova smack it away in anger.  
Having enough of this Sweet Pea firmly placed his hands-on Nova’s cheeks making her look him in the eyes. “You would never be on that stage. Jughead should have made Betty realize that she doesn’t have to seek acceptance from everyone just him. He should have done what FP did a lot sooner. FP is the boss he may not like every tradition but it’s a tradition till we find a way around it. If you ever even thought of doing the Serpent Dance I would snatch your ass off that stage before the music could even start to play.” Nova didn’t quiet know what to say. She was still angry but not angry at Sweet Pea he had made a valid point and she could see how him and Betty not being close gave him no right to take her off it.   
Sweet Pea brushed her hair out her face waiting to see if she would object from slowly getting closer. When she didn’t he closed the space between them he wasn’t rough, but it wasn’t gentle he was trying to get it across that she would never have to get on that stage for him he wouldn’t allow it. Not now and not ever. It wasn’t a quick kiss so when Nova felt like her lungs were going to explode she slowly pulled away and her eyes fluttered open to see dark brown eyes looking back at her. Sweet Pea let go of her face, but after giving her a second to let her catch her breath gave her a quick kiss.   
Both were smiling after pulling apart. “Scoot over its getting late I’ll take you home.” Nova thought about telling him that FP could just give her a ride home but didn’t want to ruin the moment. So she did only for Sweet Pea to pull her to the center seat instead of letting her sit in the passenger seat like she usually did. “I told you to scoot over not move all the way over there.” Sweet Pea commented in a joking manner but didn’t move his arm from around her shoulder after he put the truck in drive and Nova laughed with him.


End file.
